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Introduction

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the year 2000, ten percent of adults in the United States aged 50 and over had osteoporosis. In 2002, CDC stated that the direct care expenditures for osteoporotic fractures alone were estimated at $12 - $18 billion annually.

These numbers are expected to rise dramatically because people are living longer, and the United States population is aging. CDC scientists began a program of measuring bone resorption in 1997 and have continued to conduct osteoporosis research.

The Surgeon General estimates that by 2020, half of all Americans over age 50 will have weak bones unless changes are made to diet and lifestyle. As you can see, the health costs of osteoporosis could be staggering in the next few years.